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Review: Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (2020)

Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (2020)

On paper, the Eurovision Song Contest is a perfect vehicle for a classic Will Ferrell comedy romp. The long-running and immensely popular real-life contest has that same oddball and quirky charm that Ferrell exudes in all of his successful films. Having him star as an Icelandic wannabe-pop star that allows for him to sing has a lot of inherent potential (for a retrospective, see his rendition of Por Ti Volare in Step Brothers). However, the film ultimately lacks the pieces that have led to Ferrell's beloved classics. Despite its promising premise, Eurovision is devoid of consistent laughs, its plot ambles and runs too long, and many of its cast seem a tad too out-of-place to sell the vision of this contest.

Lars (Ferrell) and Sigrit (Rachel McAdams) are a singing duo/best friends/possible siblings who have their sights set on the Eurovision contest, and, after a string of lucky mishaps the two get their shining opportunity to compete in it. At the contest are a variety of other contestants including Russia's Alexander Lemtov (Dan Stevens). Stevens is undoubtedly the best part of Eurovision - he taps into the eccentricity of the contest as well as the film's overall comedy more than anyone else in the film. Ferrell is very much his usual; his customary antics and the base visual of seeing him with a long flowing wig singing and speaking with a shoddy Icelandic accent bring in laughs for a short while. After that, he sinks into his norm - one that never hits its highs of yesteryear. McAdams carries a lot of the heart of the film and, while she has a few laughs here and there, it is clear that this kind of zany comedy is not her forte nor within her comfort zone. Similarly, Pierce Brosnan - Lars' father - and the few other cameos sprinkled throughout - are never remarkable or very funny.
Eurovision at its core is a Will Ferrell paint-by-numbers comedy. It has all of the pieces of some of his former hits, however, it lacks the inherent comedy, charm and quotable/memorable moments that would make it a classic. The film has that sliver of entertainment that will drag you through to its end, but it is there, at its predictable ending, when the dreary thought will settle in 'why did I just waste two hours on that'.

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